Editor’s Note: This essay is Part I of a new series examining Benedict XVI’s errant conception of original sin and its effects. Recently, a letter written by the late Benedict XVI has gained attention online. The document, dated June 6, 2014, is a response to three questions included in a letter from Dr. Paolo Musso, professor emeritus of Philosophy of Nature at the Pontifical Urbanian University and the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross. It was originally published in the appendices of Musso’s 2021 book La Vita Extraterrestre. Science fiction author Patrick Abbott has posted a translation of the letter to X on September 29, 2026. Much to the excitement of Jimmy Akin, senior apologist at Catholic Answers, the letter appears by all accounts to be genuine. Unfortunately, Musso does not share the text of the letter he sent to Benedict in his book, so we do not have any context for Benedict’s responses beyond what he writes. However, the letter alone is so full of heterodoxy that it deserves a proper examination. Musso shared it primarily for Benedict’s third response, regarding intelligent extraterrestrial life. Curiously, Benedict demurs on this question, while his first two responses on polygenism and original sin are far more noteworthy.

Originally published in Integrity Magazine. Read original article

Original Tags: Vatican II, Benedict XVI, Humani Generis, Original Sin, Pope Pius XII, Theology, Traditional Catholicism